


Behind the curtains

by Eccehomo



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 20:19:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8071312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eccehomo/pseuds/Eccehomo
Summary: Harry is given the chance to open the show for Yves Saint Laurent. Miles, (whose won top Male Model of the Year Award) will not see this happen. After fighting behind closed doors, a little more than Miles and Harry is brought to the stage.





	

“You alright Harold?”

Harry checks his back in the mirror. His face is caked in makeup with nude lips.

“’M just nervous Loueh.”

“I know love. I wish I could be out there watching you strut the runway but you know I’m not allowed to. I’ll be in here watching every second of it okay?”

Harry nods with a pout. He sighs loudly as his fingers trail down Louis shoulders. Harry sits on his lap.

“No after party. We go home right away?”

Louis nods with a smile that sets crinkles by his eyes.

“We go home.”

Louis reaches for Harry’s left hand that sits on his shoulder. He turns his hand over and kisses Harry’s sweaty palm.

“Now go out there and work it, you’ve been dying to do something for Yves Saint Laurent since --”

 The door busts open before Louis’ had a chance to finish.

“Who are you!!?” Louis shouts at the intruder as Harry frantically parts from his lap.

The 6’1 model stares with mild confusion and anger.

“What do you mean who am I? I’m Miles, this is my show and you—“ he points to Harry “cannot open my show.”  He stomps his feet on the floor like an angry child.

Harry looks confused.

“Well, excuse me, you can’t come in here giving orders without consent.” Louis gets up from his seat as a second figure comes running into Harry’s private dressing room.

“Miles! Miles!” He scrambles forward and pulls on Miles’ arm.

“I’m very sorry.” The older man looks at Louis and Harry apologetically as he tries to pulls the model back. “Also sorry about intruding your room but I had to come fetch my queen over here.” --- “Miles, you need to calm down and come back to the dressing room.” He whispers.

“No!!!” Miles shouts with tears in his eyes. The model forces his arm out of the man’s grasp. “I’ve waited all my life for this moment. And now some superstar with a name is going to take it from me?”

Louis looks back to Harry. Harry looks very sorry when Miles erupts into fits of cries.

“Miles, you will get plenty of other chances.” The man pulls Miles into his arms and gently caresses his back as he continues to sob.

“Listen lads, I’m not sure what’s going on here—but we’d really like our privacy and I’m sorry that-”

“Loueh.” Harry cuts him off as he walks past him to the two men embraced.

“I’m sorry.” Harry reaches out and places a hand on the model’s shoulder. “I didn’t know I was robbing someone of their dream.”

The model turns to face Harry while leaning against the older man.

“I am model.” He yells with a tremble in his effeminate voice. “This is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life!”

“Hey!” The older man shuts him up. “He is reasoning with you, no reason to be yelling at him.”

“It’s okay.” Harry removes his hand. “He’s got every reason to be upset.”

Louis makes his way next to Harry placing an arm around his back.

“I recognize you.” Louis tells the older man. “You’re the lad from Star Trek.”

The man smiles and nods humbly into his partner’s neck.

Harry rubs the model’s back for reassurance. He looks calmer now, wiping tears from his eyes.

“I’ll go speak to Fabian, you can open the show tonight.” Harry says.

Miles doesn’t respond. He shrugs his shoulders and leans in closer into the older man’s embrace.

“You don’t have to do that. The opportunity is yours.” The older man replies.

Miles stomps his feet and pulls away from the man’s arms. He brings a hand over his mouth as he begins to cry again. Amidst confusion and tension, Louis steps up and takes the model into his arms in attempt to comfort and silence him.

Louis can hear the man and Harry argue behind his back as Harry insists on giving up the walk. The man protests and apologizes for his partner’s stubborn and persistent behavior.

“He is being dramatic as always. Knock it out Miles you’re a grown man.”

Miles sobs louder into Louis arms.

“And that’s exactly why tonight might be my only chance!!” He yells across the bodies at Zach.

“I’m 27.” He tells Louis all teary eyed and wet of sobs. “Models don’t have long careers.”

“I understand.” Louis tries to sympathize but he really doesn’t care. He came to privately support Harry but this dramatic commotion may expose him and he is growing very concerned and panicky.

“Harry.” Louis calls out to him but Harry doesn’t listen as he and Zach continue to argue. “HAZZA!!!!!” Louis yells louder silencing the room.

“Go and call it off. We need to leave.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. That is absolutely unnecessary.” Zach tells him. He leaves Harry’s side and walks over to the teary eyed mess. “Common, we are the ones going home. You’ve made a fool of us tonight.”

“No really, I insist, we must get going.” Louis protests as he forces Miles away from Zach’s reach.

He looks over to Harry wide-eyed. Harry dashes for the door in an effort to contain Louis' growing panic.

“Oh no….” Zach chases Harry out the dressing room.

Miles hangs onto Louis as he falls into another fit of cries.

“Let’s go have a seat.” Louis places an arm around his back and leads him to the only couch in the room.

“No reason to cry now. We will be going. Show is all yours.” There’s a bit of frustration in Louis’ tone.

“Zach’s not going to let me walk out there tonight.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t either if you looked like that. Quit crying. You’re ruining your makeup.”

Miles looks offended by Louis’ straightforwardness but he can appreciate an honest man. He paces his breathing as he takes in the room around him. Louis doesn’t think much when he leans forward and sweeps the long strands of blonde highlights behind Miles’ ears.

Miles doesn’t seem to mind. He smiles to himself as he wipes at his own eyes.

“I’m Louis by the way.”

“I know.”

Louis looks back at the door, hoping Harry will walk in soon.

“I listen to your music.” Miles admits.

Louis presses a forced smile in response.

_Common Harry._

_\--------_  
  
Harry reaches Fabian before Zach’s had a chance to catch up.

“Fabian.”

The old man studies Harry head to toe from over the top of his glasses.

“Oui, Monsieur Styles?”

“I can’t open the show tonight. You’ve got a model.” Harry looks around trying to remember the models name. “Michael?” --- “No, Miles. Miles, should open the show tonight.”

“What for? We’ve got you.” He pulls on the extra fabric from Harry’s shirt and tucks it into his pants.

Harry feels another hand land on his back that slowly trails up to his shoulders. It squeezes his shoulder. Zach smiles as he greets Fabian.

“Is it your Miles that Harry’s come to talk to me about?” Fabian asks.

“Yes.” Zach sounds ashamed when he admits this.

“Didn’t we already discuss this? Absolutely not.”

“Yes, yes we did. That’s why I came to talk Harry into opening the show for you sir.” He squeezes Harry’s shoulder again. 

“No, I will not take another man’s dream away from him.”

“Silence Harry! We’ve sold out on the tickets tonight because YOU are opening the show.”

“I’m a musician, not a model Fabian.”

“You are made to perform regardless, now get in line. We start in 30 minutes.”

“I’m leaving Fabian.” Fabian seems unbothered as he busies himself with the other designers in the room.

“Harry- really don’t.” Zach whispers into his ear. “If you let Miles take the opening tonight, Fabian will tell all the others that he is a whiny little bitch. Don’t. I’m begging you.”

Harry looks as though he is re-considering this.

“I can’t do this to him. I know what it’s like to have your dream taken from you.”

“All his dreams will be taken from him tonight. He’s been waging war with Fabian for weeks, if you don’t open, he will never get a gig after tonight. Not with his attitude.”

Harry doesn’t look like he is listening to Zach. His eyes hold distance. He is far into his thoughts to gather what Zach says.

“I’ve got an alternative.” He marches with confidence as he walks over to Fabian on the other side of the big dressing room.

“Let me and Miles open together.” He says.

Fabian turns around with less than appeased look on his face.

“This isn’t for Miles, I promise.” Fabian raises an eyebrow and looks at Zach who is standing behind Harry trying to eavesdrop without interference.

“You said you sold out the tickets because of me right?” --- “Well, let’s give them something big tonight.”

Fabian peers at him over his glasses at again.

“And what are you suggesting monsieur Styles?”

“Let me walk hand in hand with him. We will kiss at the end of the runway. I will make tonight my moment to come out. Everyone already speculates I’m gay.”

“Excuse me!?” Zach steps up looking bewildered.

“You want to come out on our show?”

“Can you imagine the number of viewings and ratings?” Harry eggs him on.

“Why, that would be an extraordinary moment in all of history!”

“Yes!” Harry beams with confidence. He doesn’t register what he saying.

“You aren’t going to ask for my permission to kiss my boyfriend?”

Harry doesn’t respond to Zach’s question.

“So that’s a yes then?” Harry asks but Fabian is already off yelling in French about something being “extraordinaire et magnifique!!”

Harry grabs Zach’s hand and forces him to walk back to the room.

“I’m so sorry. I couldn’t think of anything else.”

“If you are going to come out, kiss your own boyfriend not mine.”

“Oh fuck. Loueh. Management. shit...”

Harry stops in his tracks and leans against the wall in the hallway leading to his room.

“I’ve really fucked up. I’m not going to have a career after tonight.”

“I told you don’t do it.”

“I couldn’t let your boyfriend not have his dream. It was within his reach.”

“You are giving up your career for someone you don’t know?”

Harry throws his head back against the wall. His shuts his eyes.  


_Is it too late to take it all back now?_

\-------  
  
“Yes! Yes! Alright! You look great. Happy now?” Louis shouts.

“Why are you saying it like that?” Miles looks hurt as turns back from mirror to face Louis.

“Because you’re forcing it out of me.”

“I just wanted you to say I was good looking.” Miles teases.

“I’ve got my own man to compliment thank you very much.”

“I’ve always known it.”

“And what is it that you’ve known exactly?”

“That you and Harry were together. It’s so obvious.” Miles purposely sways his hips as he walks back to the couch with a big grin on his face.

“No its not. It’s not obvious. That’s ridiculous that you think that.”

“Well I’m not the only one who that thinks it. You know that you have a whole fandom that talks of it.”

“Aha, good. Yes.” Louis nods his head and cracks his knuckles, he looks back at the door getting impatient for Harry to arrive.

“You two are cute together.” Miles says with a grin.

“Same to you and Spock.” His eyebrows shoot up with his forced smile.

“Zach, his name is Zach………… Or daddy.” Miles winks at him.

Louis gets uncomfortable and tries to avoid his gaze.

“Alright, you and ZACH are cute together.”

“Why do you look so uncomfortable. Loosen up a bit. Did they not bring you alcohol in here? It’s my favorite thing about these fashion shows.” Miles gets up and searches the room.

“It’s by the door. And I was going to drink DURING the show.” Louis sounds annoyed.

“You are going to drink now and cut down on the sass.”

Miles fills the two glasses with wine and hands Louis a glass.

“Drink!”

Louis wants to rolls his eyes but he won’t deny that alcohol may be the best thing for him right now.

“Cheers to all the gays!” Miles yells out.

“Mind your volume in here.” Louis shouts back.

“So, when are you coming out of the closet?” 

“It’s none of your business. And aren’t you awfully cheery for someone who just crying a little over a minute ago?”

Miles leans back into the sofa and crosses his legs over.

“No. It’s all pretend.”

“Pretend?”

“Yeah, I just like it when I see Zach stand up for me.”

“I don’t know if we were part of the same drama earlier but it didn’t look like he was standing up for you mate.”

“Yes he was, he’s been negotiating with the designers and planners for weeks.”

Louis takes a sip of his drink.

“And why are you making him work so hard?”

“So that I have reasons to call him daddy.”

Louis frowns. “You are so weird.”

“Better weird than normal.” Miles scoots closer to Louis on the sofa.

\-------  
  
“I don’t know what I’m doing.” Harry admits. “I want to come out but this will be ruins for our careers.”

“Hey..” Zach places a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “It sounded to me that you have a big fan base when Fabian said the show sold out.”

Harry’s eyes are glued to the buttons on Zach’s shirt.

“Do you really think you coming out would ruin your career?”

“I don’t. They always tell us, if we come out, we’ll lose it all.”

“They?”

“Our management team.”

Zach shakes his head.

“Well there’s your problem then.”

Harry looks up to Zach.

“You have a shitty management if they convince you you’ll lose it. Come out. Live your life and see what happens. Take it from me. If you aren’t living honestly, you aren’t living happily.”

Harry fondles his lower lip with his thumb as he reflects on Zach’s words.

“I know but what about Loueh?”

“Why don’t we go and ask him?”

Harry nods slowly.

“alright.” He whispers.

Zach offers his arm to him. Harry grabs hold of his arm with his trembling hand.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about I promise you. You have my support tonight.”

“Thank you.”

\-------  
  
“Aren’t you getting a little too close for comfort?” Louis leans back against the arm rest.

“Am I making you feel uncomfortable?”

“It’s obvious to you that Harry and I are together but it’s NOT obvious that you are making me feel uncomfortable?”

Miles laughs hysterically.

“Yeah, funny, that one. Very funny.” Louis looks back at the door handle.

“Alright, enough already. It wasn’t that funny!”

“You are such a closeted gay!”

“And you are such a dramatic one!”

The door opens.

“About fuckin’ time!!!” Louis shouts as he stands from his place and turns to the door. He pauses in his spot when he sees Harry holding onto Zach. “What? … what is going on?”

Miles quickly hides the glass of wine behind the couch.

“Let’s have a seat. We all need to talk.” Zach says as he closes the door behind him.

Louis starts to feel anxious. His heart beats quick as he eyes Harry whose face looks expressionless.

“Harry are you alright?”

Harry nods as he takes a seat in between Louis and Miles.

“Harry is fine.” Zach pulls a chair and sits facing them. “Miles and Harry are opening the show together.”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’?” Miles asks.

“It’s not a ‘but’ it’s an ‘and.’”

“Can one of you just say what is going on?” Louis retorts looking back and forth between Harry and Zach.

“Harry chose to come out tonight.” Zach speaks up. “on the runway.”

“What do you mean?” Louis turns to Harry.

“I’m taking my chances Lou. I can’t hide forever.”

“Chances? This is our careers.”

“Lou, the show sold out because I was opening. I got my own fan base.”

“They are supporting you in fashion not in love.”

“But how do we know that?”

“Yeah, Louis.” Miles mocks him.

“Zach said something that is true. If we aren’t living honestly, we aren’t living happily.”

Miles winks at Zach making him smile.

“And Lou, we know we have Larry supporters, we can always be a success, together, alone, you and me, outside of 1D.”

“You should totally do it!” Miles winks at Louis across the sofa.

“I don’t know Harry.”

“Louis.” Zach clears his throat. “Don’t let the media manipulate how you want to live your life. Fame isn’t everything. Happiness is.”

“I know that Zach, but I got a big family to support.”

“Louis you don’t have to come out if you don’t want.” Harry tells him. “I will come out alone.”

“Where’s the point in that? The minute you come out, Modest! Will kick you out and I’m going to be exposed with you. If you come out, I come out with you, don’t be ridiculous Harry.”

Miles claps his hands together. “Please make it happen!!!” He yells.

“You’ve got our support.” Zach adds in.

“Being gay is totally the new thing! I won model of the year after coming out and dating him.”  Miles batts his lashes at Zach.

“You won’t compromise much. I promise it’s just propaganda your management is using to keep their sales up and pockets full.” Zach opens his arms to receive Miles who comes to sit on his lap. “The entertainment industry is full of openly gay men and women and they all do well for themselves. You get more recognition for someone you are rather than someone you aren’t and I’d be happy to introduce you to new managers.”

“So?” Harry looks desperately at Louis.

“I don’t know Harry….”

Louis looks to Harry. “How are you planning to come out on stage?”

Harry bites his lips together. “I told Fabian, I’d walk hand in hand with Miles and kiss him on the end of the runway.”

“Which he won’t do because you will be at the end of the runway. And YOU will be the one he kisses.” Zach cuts in.

“mmMm daddy.” Miles whispers into Zach’s ear and kisses his cheek.

“I haven’t got a seat out there; I was going to watch the show in here.” Louis responds.

“Well, you can sit on my lap out there. I’ve got a seat.” Zach responds.

“I’m not sitting on your lap.”

“That’s fine. I will sit on yours.”

Miles laughs at Zach's response.

“So let me get this straight.” Louis stands up from his seat.

The prompter sounds off in Harry’s room _. “Harry, to the show room, Harry to the show room.”_

“Oh, we’ve got to go.” Harry looks at Miles who stands up in sync with him.

“We should head out too.” Zach tells Louis.

“Wait, wait!!” Louis yells. “So you two are going to walk hand in hand and then I am to kiss Harry when he reaches the end?”

“Yesss!!” Harry and Miles yell in sync.

“Well, my seat isn’t on the end, it’s on the side so you’ll kiss him on the side.” Zach explains.

Harry and Miles take off before another word is said.

“Well… I don’t know.” Louis throws his hands in the air. He is alone in the room with Zach.

“Hey! You know what I saw tonight?” Zach takes a few steps closer to him.

“I saw your boyfriend offer to ruin his career just so that my boyfriend could get a chance to make his dream come true.” Zach places both hands on Louis’ shoulders. “So why don’t you be as selfless as your boyfriend and do this for him. He looked happy when you considered it. Didn’t he?”

Louis shakes his head. He is fighting with himself internally.

“I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that we are about to come out in the most dramatic sense or the fact that you truly believe this was your boyfriend’s dream. He is pretending about it.”

“Oh I know.” Zach confidently replies.

“You know that Miles was just pretending that he wanted this so bad?”

“Yes.” Zach says without blinking.

“So then, why would ---- you didn’t confront him—“

“It’s because I love him. You do these sorts of things for people you love. I know it makes him happy at the end of the day and that’s all that matters to me.”

“Right.” Louis swallows thickly as he scratches on his facial stubble.

“It doesn’t always make sense. It doesn’t have to. We just do things for our lovers because it makes them happy inside. So do it for the person you love?”

“Do it for the person you love.” Louis repeats with a smile spreading on his face. Zach reciprocates. “Alright, I’m going to place my trust in you here.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

Zach squeezes his shoulder.

“Let’s go take our seat.” Zach says as he and Louis walk towards the door. They walk down the hallway and towards the curtains.

_\----------_

The music starts playing. The spot lights begin to dance around the stage. Louis takes a seat. Zach kneels on the floor next to him.

“Sorry, too heavy for you.” He says. Louis shrugs with a pressed smile. Zach keeps a hand on Louis’ knee for support. “Don’t be nervous.” He tells him and rubs his knee with comfort. Louis tries to focus on inhaling and exhaling out.

The spotlights center on stage.

The bass drops.

The curtains open.

The cameras begin to roll.

Zach and Harry step on either side of the stage, strutting towards each other. They meet in the middle and grab each other’s hands. They start walking down the runway.

Zach squeezes’ Louis knee.

Zach waves a hand in the air so that Miles can spot him. He winks and waves back at him.

The crowd cheers, whistles and claps as Miles adds more pop into his hip sways. Harry follows suit and the two start to get comfortable on stage waving their arms around and blowing kiss right, left and center.

Harry catches Louis gaze. Louis looks like a turtle, about to plop back into its shell. Harry almost wants to walk right past him but Miles stops and forces Harry to stop too. Miles waves at the crowd as he pretends he’s dropped a pen. He bends over, looking up at the crowd with a hand over his mouth, pretending to be shocked and embarrassed.

“KISS HIM.” Miles shouts between his clenched teeth. Harry bends over with him.

Zach stands up and pulls Louis up with him. Zach leans in and kisses Miles.

The crowd goes wild.

Louis leans in.

Harry tucks his hair behind his ears. He leans forward and locks lips with a timid looking Louis.

Miles and Zach separate.

The crowd is now roaring.

Miles is clapping and dancing on stage. Zach is pressing four fingers into his mouth and whistling as the spotlight rests on Harry and Louis kissing.

The entire venue is up on their feet clapping.

Fabian is immediately seen running down the runway. He is holding a microphone and muttering things in French.

The music is lowered.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. Our very own Harry Styles!!!!!!!”

The crowd cheers again.

“A big moment in history. This was saved for your eyes only! WELCOME!!!!, WELCOMEEEE TO OUR 75th ANNIVERSARYYYYYY SHOWWWWW!! “ He yells into microphone as camera flashes and people’s cheering drown the room around them.

Miles pulls Harry back up and the two wave around at the room. They each grab onto Fabian’s arms as they strut back down the runway.

“Oh boy.” Louis turns to Zach whose smile cannot be contained.

“Welcome to freedom my friend.”

He pats him on the back.


End file.
